Letter-carrier&#39;s routing-table and filing-case.



PATENTED JUNE 23, 1903.-

r G. G. FIELDS. LETTER GARRIERS ROUTING TABLE AND FILING CASE.

APPLICATION IILED JUNE 6. 1901.

N0 MODEL.

Patented June 23, 1903.

FFICE.

PATENT CHARLES C. FIELDS, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

LETTER-CARRIERS ROUTING-TABLE AND FILING-CASE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 731,559, dated June 23, 1903.

' Application filed June 6,1901. Serial No. 68,345. (No model.)

To all whont it'mrty concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES C. FIELDS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented'certain new and useful Improvements in Letter-Carriers Routing-Tables and Filof which the following is a speciing to streets and the numbers of the houses on said streets; andit is the object of this invention to provide a table and case which will assist the letter-carrier in his routing and filing work and enable him to quickly arrange his mail-matter in the necessary orderly manner.

The invention consists in certain constructions and arrangements of the parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a front and top perspective view of the improved ronting-table and filing-case. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section taken approximately on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view of. a portion of the table-top and one of the letter-supporting panels. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of a portion of the slidingstool mechanism. Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view of the extension-slide and its sliding panel.

Referring to the drawings, the letter a designates the top of the routing-table, which top is provided near one side with a guideway I), whose side walls arenndercut and which extends from the front toward the rear of the table-top. A newspaper-supporting extension-slide c is mounted to move in said guideway with its upper surface flush with the upper surface of the table-top, and the rear portion of said slide is composed of slats cl, flexibly joined together and adapted to roll up on a spring-rotated drum 0, journaled underneath the tabletop at the rear end of the guideway b. On the underside of its inflexible forward portion the said slide is provided with a longitudinally-extending series of notches f, with which the free end of a leaf-spring g is adapted to engage to hold said slide at various extensions against the action of the spring-drum, and a releaseknob h is secured to said spring, whereby to free the latter from said notches to allow the spring-drum to draw the slide inward.

The extension-slide c is provided on the upper surface of its inflexible forward portion with a longitudinal undercut groove 0' of a length approximately equal to the drawnin length of the slide, and an upright transverse panel t' is provided with a tenon i,movable in said groove, whereby the said panel may he slid back and forth on said extensionslide. The letter j designates a hook on the table-top back of the extension-slide c. When the lettercarrier is ready to route his mail-matter, (it being understood that the slide cis at theinward limit of its movement,) he hooks his strap over the hook j and lays the strap along the slide. He then takes the newspapers and lays them in proper order over the strap on the slide, using the movable panel t' as a support for the row of newspapers and drawing said panel toward him as the number of papers increases until the panel abuts against the end 0 of the extensible slide a, and as the number of newspapers still increases he draws out the extensible slide a farther and farther, the leafspring g sliding over the notches f and automatically holding the slide extended. When the carriers quota of newspapers for his trip is completed, he unhooks the end of his strap and binds them into a bundle. The spring gis then disengaged from the slide 0, and the latter is automatically drawn back into inner position.

In the table-top at Ma suitable distance from the newspaper-supporting slide 0 an undercut guideway k is formed, and two letfer-supporting panels Z are each provided with a tenon mounted in said guideway,

whereby each panel may slide back and forth in said gnideway independently of the other.

When the carrier routes his letters or envelop mail-matter, the said letters are held upright on their edges between the two sliding panels, and the panels are slid farther apart as the number of letters increases' Supported on the table-top a are two rigid upright side bars m, and between the same is a rectangular filing-case n, divided into a number of pigeonholes n and pivotally connected by two links 0 to each of the said side bars, so that said case may be swung outwardly and downwardly until its feet 01 rest on the table-top, as shown in Fig. 1. It is then Within easy reach of the letter-carrier, so that he can readily file his mail-matter in the pigeonholes n, and when not in use the case can be swung upwardly and backwardly out of the way between the two side bars m.

Secured underneath the table-top a is a horizontal rod 19. Sliding on said rod is a collar g on the upper end of an upright arm '1", and a beam 8 extends forwardly from the lower end of said arm, with its forward end connected to a stool-leg t. A screw-rod u is adjustable vertically in said leg and carries a seat n. hen the table and case are in use, the stool-leg, with its seat, is drawn out, as shown in Fig. 1, and when not in use it is pushed back under the table.

The improved routing-table is preferably provided with a locker w, in which the carrier may stow his lunch and various other articles.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a device of the character described, a table whose top is provided with a guideway; an extension-slide movable in said guideway; and a panel supported on said extension-slide to moveindependently thereof, as set forth.

2. In a device of the character described, a table whose top is provided with a guideway; an extension-slide movable in said guideway and provided on its upper surface with a longitudinally-extending undercut groove; and an upright panel provided with a tenon fitted to move in the groove formed in the extension-slide, as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES C. FIELDS.

Witnesses:

FREDERICK S. S'rrrT, CHARLES L. VIETSCH. 

